Advice on best gun to carry concealed?

R

runswithgun

Inactive
Completed my CWP class July 30th. Waiting for card in mail. In the meantime, researching handguns (am partial to revolvers) in an effort to find what would best suit my needs/lifestyle as an everyday weapon to carry concealed... this includes on my "runs" (am a seasoned "runner" with one half-marathon under my belt). Ran with my 380 Kel Tec the other day (on a South Carolina country road where the only thing that would have asked to see my license to carry concealed would have been one of the many horses out-to-pasture I passed in my run). Have what's called a "Ghostbelt" that I just picked up from a Gun Show and had no issues with either the belt or the gun. My only concern is the "punch", or "lack of punch" the 380 delivers. When I mentioned to my CWP instructor that's what I planned on carrying, he scoffed and suggested I try something with a bit more "stopping power" like the snubnose 38 or snubnose 357, esp. seeing as I'm a woman and would not want to take any chances on the 380 not delivering a "stop em' in their tracks" kick. He suggested the "snubnose's" because I need something not only powerful, but as lightweight as possible (when running, the last thing you want to do is add more weight to your frame!) Would appreciate ANY and ALL thoughts/ideas/suggestions. Should receive my permit in the mail by the end of Oct., beginning of Nov.. Would like to have reached an "informed" decision before then, for the plan is to celebrate the permit's arrival by going out and buying my weapon of choice!!!
 
runswithgun

My wife's a jogger and carries her old LadySmth 60 .357 (3") and loads it now with .38 Federal Hydra-Shok JHP 110 Gr. But if your comfortable with the Kel Tec, by all means carry it.
 
Runswithguns:

I don't consider any caliber under 38 Spedial or 9mm Lugar adequate for self defence. I carry a Smith 442 in 38 Special. The Smith's are light and concealable. My second choice is the Ruger SP 101.


Semper Fi.

Gunnery Sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC retired
 
:) I carry a Kahr P380. "I sure wouldn't want to get shot with a 380." :D I only pocket carry and the P380 fits just right. I think carrying a gun is a personal thing. I have several guns that I can use as a carry gun. I am 69 years old and have been carrying a gun for years and after all that time it's come down to the Kahr P380. I think you need to have a gun or guns that you will carry all the time. A gun that you leave in your car or at home because you don't like carrying it is no good. Just try different guns till you find something that works. Don
 
I commend you for wanting to make an informed decision. There are no absolutes in a personal defense situation. Shot placement is very important as is ammo selection for that cartridge. Training is critical. How reliable is this .380 with personal protection ammo? How accurate are you with this firearm? See if there is a gun range or store in your area that will let you rent or shoot different guns. Try before you buy so you can make an informed decision. I am not a fan of the .380 (my hand size is too big and prefer more powerful cartridges), but that does not mean it would not work for you.

Personally, I will not go less than a 3" barrel on a revolver. Depending on ammo you may lose a fair amount of velocity when dropping down to the snubbies. The shorter barrels will also give you more muzzle flash (do you run in low light conditions) and muzzle blast. You will not appreciate the light weight and short sight radius when firing a handgun. Your handgun needs to be comfortable enough for you to shoot that you are willing and wanting to practice often. You also do not want to develop a flinch. I know several ladies who were talked into a lightweight .38 Special sub-nose revolver and wish they had never bought that particular handgun. One bought it based on the advice of her sister (LEO). When she shot a steel frame revolver, she liked it much better. IMO, the snub-nose is for experienced shooters - even more so with the lightweight snub-nose revolvers. How experienced are you?

I prefer the .357 Mag over a .38 Special as the .357 Mag is more versatile (can fire .357 Mag and .38 Special). There are some medium power .357 Mag ammo that does not have that bad of a recoil in a small steel frame revolver. For a five shot 3" barrel steel frame revolver I like the Ruger SP101 in .357 Mag, but the weight of this revolver (steel frame) may be more than you want to take on your run.

It sounds like you are running in a rural area. Do you have any predator animals in the area?
 
My everyday carry gun is a smith & wesson 640 in .38 special. The gun has an internal hammer so it will not snag on clothing and it also enables you to fire from within a coat pocket without worrying about the hammer catching on material. Being a revolver it is utterly reliable and it is small enough to slip into my front pants or coat pocket. Small semi-automatics comparable in size to the J frame revolver as pictured do not tend to run as smoothly and reliably as their full size counterparts, which is why if I am going to carry a smaller gun concealed I opt for a revolver over a semi-automatic. Even though the gun itself is not that large it still takes 5 rounds of .38 special +p which is an adequate round for self defense while still being easy to shoot. Those are the primary reasons that I chose this gun as my carry gun.

If you are interested they no longer make the 640 in the .38 special version anymore but they do make it in the .357 magnum (which can also chamber the .38). The .357 version is a few ounces heavier and a tad bit longer than the version I have. Although they do make the model 642 which is identical to my gun except it has an aluminum frame compared to the stainless steel frame on the 640. The benefit is the aluminum framed gun weighs a few ounces lighter, but as a result the gun has more felt recoil and can be harder to shoot. I prefer stainless steel on my guns because I can easily restore the finish no matter how deep a scratch with the right grade of steel wool or sand paper and finish it off with some mothers mag polish.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with the .380 as a self defense round, I sometimes rotate a walther ppk in .380 into my carry routine. The .380 is roughly the same size projectile as a .38 special and 9mm just less powder pushing it.

If you find one used I payed $300 for my 640 below, you should be able to pick up a 642 new for $350 more or less, and a new 640 in .357 will run you around $600 unless you pick one up used which will be around $500.
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I would only carry centerfires, never a rimfire. I do not know what people are talking about, "I do not trust 380/32/25acp"... It goes BANG, its all about placement shots. I would only carry a 380/32/25 for backup never main.

Look at Ruger LC9/Glock 26/1911 or a revolver. I do not know about Rugers LCR "plastic revolver" I just dont know wabout a PLASTIC revolver... Something just isn't right about it to me. ;)

2nd to dragline said.
 
runswithgun,

Your post says you are concerned with weight and power in the handgun you choose to carry. That is the compromise that we all make when we choose a handgun to carry in a concealed manner.

The link below is to a pdf document with shows some pocket sized guns with their dimensions, weights and capacity. You might find it informative. It is by no means all encompassing.

http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf

You may note that there are some 9mm parabellum pistols which are only slightly larger and heavier than your .380ACP.
Kel-Tec P-3AT .380 ACP
Operation: DAO
Capacity: 6 +1
Barrel/Overall Length: 2.56/5.13”
Height: 3.57”
Width: 0.78”
Weight Empty: 9.0 oz.
Weight Fully Loaded: 11 oz.

Kel-Tec PF-9 9 x 19mm
Operation: DAO, Slide Catch
Capacity: 7 +1
Barrel/Overall Length: 3.06/5.85”
Height: 4.36”
Width: 0.84”
Weight Empty: 14.7 oz.
Weight Fully Loaded: 18 oz.
 
Rules to concealed carry arm selection...

1. There are NO rules.
2. There are NO rules.
3. Carry something you are WILLING to carry EVERY day.
4. Carry something that has been proven to be reliable.
5. Carry something that you can shoot well and fast.
6. YOU, and ONLY you, will have to live with your decision.

I'd recommend at least a 9mm and above, however, even a .22 can potentially stop a threat, and when it comes down to it, that's what you are trying to do.

Good luck.
 
I run treadmill, play basketball, etc and for me I have found the perfect setup. A Smith and Wesson airweight in a smart carry holster. I shift the smart carry to my hip at about 3-4 o'clock. I can run, jump, land and everything else and it never gets loose on me. Plus, I have the smart carry with the extra pocket so I put a large pocket knife in it. The revolver stays put like no auto can, the cylinder actually gets under the lip of the holster and makes it stay put. I think it would stay if I were upside down. Also, no need to wear a belt with smart carry, which most athletic wear does facilitate in most cases anyhow.

PS. The clip on the keltec works ok with this carry method but is still not quite as secure as the revolver. Good luck!
 
I have a Keltec PF-9 9mm pocket pistol. It is my smallest lightest pistol that i can wear with basketball shorts without tying the stings and i can barely tell its there. It is light weight holds 7 rounds in a mag plus one in the chamber and up close unless the person is on drugs it will kill them or at minimum get the person to leave you alone. i recommend it.
 
Oh and one other thing I forgot to mention the Keltec PF-9 is also pretty cheap brand new I got my for a little over $300 but it is a reliable pistol and has a slight snap to it due to the size of the weapon vs. the larger round that it fires.
 
"...a "stop em' in their tracks" kick..." No handgun cartridge will do that. You need the firearm that fits your hand and you can shoot well. Plus you must try a box of as many brands to find the ammo your handgun shoots best too. Regular practice with your carry ammo is essential as well.
 
To heavy

I had a Ruger SP 101 2 1/4" It was to fat and heavy to carry in my hip pocket. To fat for Inside pants. I now have a Walther PPS .40 S&W. Its fine ,good enough . I don't think any CCW gun is comfortable,just carry it,don't think about it don't talk about it. Avoid trouble at all times,were not Cops.
 
Smith & Wesson 642 airweight revolver. I have one, and you can carry them in a speedo if needed ...... :eek:
No, really .... they are a great "go everywhere" defensive handgun, loaded with the Hornady Critical Defense 110 gr. FTX bullet.
 
My only concern is the "punch", or "lack of punch" the 380 delivers. When I mentioned to my CWP instructor that's what I planned on carrying, he scoffed and suggested I try something with a bit more "stopping power" like the snubnose 38 or snubnose 357, esp. seeing as I'm a woman and would not want to take any chances on the 380 not delivering a "stop em' in their tracks" kick.
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There is no handgun that is going to give "stopping power." Above all things, you will need to be accurate with whatever gun you carry.

While I don't disagree that there are better options than a .380, if you carry one, and you are accurate with it, it is much better than a gun left at home as there are lots of factors that you have to account for when buying a SD gun. Size is a very important factor to consider.

As far as snubs go, they are reliable, easy to operate and a great choice in either .38 or .357. I'd suggest looking at the Ruger SP101 in .357 or a S&W Airweight. Both guns have their pros and cons but both great choices.
 
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